Automatic flash gun



R. l.. MooRE ErAL 3,107,862 7 AUTOMATIC- FLAsH GUN lFiled Dec. 2s. 1960 4 sheets-sheet 1 FIGS 14 /I uw INVENTORS ROBERT L. MOORE. RUDOLPH A. ROM

ATTORNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 R. l.. MOORE l-:TAL 3,107,862

AUTOMATIC FLASH GUN Filed Dec. 23, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F|G.G

4a sf-f IOc seN

25 in 2 F|G.7

53 INVENToRs 1| [i BY HLA'SAE ,e @4M/ym ATTO RN EYS Oct, 22, 1953 R. L. MoRE m-Al. l {if- 3,107,862 AUTOMATIC FLASH GUN .Filed Dec. 25, -l'eo 4 sheets-sheets 2 Flc-1.9.4

v 4 1 VA V4 'IIIIIIII//l FIG- ` v ROBERT RUDOLPH A. ROM

AT TO R NEYS 'Oct- 22,1963- A Y' R. MooRE ETL- 3,107,852.

AUTOMATIC FLASH GUN 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Deo. 25, 1960 INVENTORS ROBERT L MOORE RUDOLPH A. ROM BY ATTO RN EY5 United States Patent O 3,l{l7,-262 AUTGMATHC FLASH GUN Robert l.. Moore, La Grange Highlands, and Rudolph A.

Rom, Berwyn, lli., assiguors to Revere Camera Conipany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation o Delaware Filed Dec. 2.3, 1966, Ser. No. 77,396 13 Claims. (Cl. 24d- 1.3)

This invention relates to a flash gun designed to accommodate a clip of conventional diminuitive flash bulbs of the type customarily designated AG-l, and, more particularly, to the mechanism lfor successively advancing the bulbs into firing position and depositing the -used bulbs into a compartment provided for that purpose.

The AG-l ilash bulbs manufactured by General Electric, Sylvania, and Westinghouse, among others, are of relatively small size but nevertheless have a high lighting power. These bulbs are peculiarly adapted to automatic flash guns due to their small size, but no suitable gun has to this time been provided. Single shot guns require manual loading and unloading and are necessarily time-consuming. Present automatic llash guns have several principal disadvantages, including the inability to lire successive bulbs in rapid fashion, inability to handle an adequate number of bulbs, and the lack of suitable disposal facilities.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a flash gun which will eliminate the necessity for manually removing a used hash bulb and replacing it with an unused bulb in the interval between the taking of each photograph in any given picture-taking sequence, and which will automatically advance a series of llash bulbs from `a loading or holding position into a tiring position and discharge the used bulbs into a spent lamp compartnient.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an automatic lash gun which will be rapid iiring and which is adapted to re several shots without reloading.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an automatic llash gun which has means for self-disposing the -spent bulbs and which is of a highly dependable construction.

These and other objects of this invention will hereinafter appear and Ifor purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, specic embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichiFIGURE l1 is a sectional view of the automatic ilash gun embodying this invention;

FEGURE 2 is a top plane View, partly in section, of the automatic lla-sh gun;

FlGURES 3-5 illustrate the AP-l type bulbs adaptable for'use with this i'lash gun and the loading clips rovided therewith;

FGURE 6 is a detail View, partly in section, showing the loading mechanism of this invention;

tFlGURE 7 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the reserve and spent bulb compartments of the automatic llash gun;

FIGURE 8 is a detail vie-w, partly in section, illustrating additional portions of the loading mechanism and the electrical contacts for tiring flash bulbs;

FIGURE 9 is a detail view, partly in section, of the loading disc and bulb-retaining means thereon;

FIGURE l() is a sectional View taken across a diameter of FGURE 9, illustrating an AG-l bulb in the loaded position; and

FEGURE ll is an exploded view of the automatic tlash gun of this invention.

The automatic ila-sh gun of this invention broadly consists of an apparatus which permits the insertion of a clip holding a plurality of ash bulbs into a compartment of the gun. The bulbs are loaded onto movable retaining means, successively introduced to a firing position, fired, and again moved whereby they are ejected into a spent bulb compartment. The Sequence ofv a given bulb is .immediately followed by a similar sequence of a succeeding bulb, the operation being accomplished in an exceedingly quick yand dependable fashion.

In the accompanying drawings, FIGURE l shows a flash gun 51 embodying a housing 52 and a reflector 29 carried on a reflector holder bracket 27 (see HG. 2).

In FIGURES 3-5, there is shown a clip l which holds the flash bulbs 2, the llash bulbs having bulb contacts 54.

Referring to FIGURE l1, there is shown a bulb holder Y bracket 4 with a slot 4a formed therein. Securing means are inserted in hole 4b, also located on the bulb holder bracket 4. A sliding bracket 5 with positioning means 6 is associated with the holder bracket 4, and a spring 7 is secured to the end of the sliding bracket 5, passes around the roller S, with the other end secured to the stationary post 9. Located adjacent the bulb holder bracket 4 there is shown a rack lll with an upright portion 10a and a securing stud 1Gb. The stud lllb is associated with pins which will be inserted in the slot lilo on the bulb holder bracket Lt. A gear l1 is associated with the teeth on the rack lll. The gear has protrusions 11a formed` on the face thereof. Positioned on the same axis as the gear 11 is a star wheel l2 which is operatively associated with a roller 13 positioned on arms 14, which arms are pivoted about the rod 16. A retaining spring 17 is stationarily secured at one end to post 18 and movably secured to the arm-s M. Also secured on the same axis as the gear 1l is a disc-type bulb holder Ztl having recesses 26a formed therein, and retaining springs Ztlb associated with the recesses 26a (see FIGURE 9).

A bracket 21, also located on the aforementioned axis, has an odset portion 2in to which is secured a doubleacting spring 2d. The opposite end of the spring 26 is secured to the reector holder bracket 27. Cam means o 22, with cam surface 22a, is positioned on shaft 24, there being a coil spring 23y urging the cam 22 to its normal position. The stamping 25 is employed to position the bracket Z1 and cam means 22 in 4their operative arrangements. As can be seen in FIGURE ll, the reilector bracket holder 27 is provided with cam surface 27a and slot 27h, and is pivoted about shaft 28.

The operating lever gli is secured to the shaft 24 and adapted to move the cam 22 in opposition to the urging of coil spring 23.

Contact arms 32 and 33 are positioned to lire bulb-s retained on the bulb holder 2li. These arms are secured to post 34, and arm 32 terminates in a plate 35 electrically connected to a battery 36. A similar plate 3S connected to the battery is electrically associated through wires #lll and 4l and resistor 37 to plate 3S, which is associated with condenser 39. Wire 42 connects plate 38 and a terminal post (not shown).

The operation of the automatic dash gun of this invention may be explained as follows. A representative clip l of six flash bulbs 2 will be removed in a sliding manner and passed into the slot 4a of the bulb holder bracket 4. The sliding bracket S is positioned by the means against the action of the spring 7 whereby the end of the bracket 5 will engage the furthermost bulb 2. When the bulbs are loaded, the foremost bulb 2 is forced by the action of the spring 7 on the bracket S into a recess 20a on the bulb holder 2li.

The operation of the sliding bracket 5 will be more clearly understood when referring to FlGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. As illustrated, the end of the bracket 5 is located adjacent the underside of the holder bracket 4 and it will also be noted that the ends of the bulbs 3 extend beneath the holder Accordingly, the end of the bracket 5' is adapted to engage the protruding ends of the bulbs and to urge the row of bulbs toward the recesses in the bulb holder 2t).

Upon turning the operating lever 3i) against the action of the coil spring 23, reflector 29 is actuated by cam 22, transmitting force to the stud 44 located on the cam ZZ. rhe stud t4 acts upon the cam surface 27a of holder 27, whereby the reflector assembly is pivoted about shaft 23, the shaft 28 being inserted in the hole 33,. The retlector is thus :swung forward and held in this position by the over-center travel action of doubleacting spring 25, this movement clearing a space to permit the insertion of a bulb located on the bulb holder 2d into firing position.

The insertion of a bulb into tiring position is effected by the continued actuation of the cam 22 since the cam surface 22a thereof will act upon upright 1bn on the rack it?. This moves the rack ib to the left while guided between the stud ltlb and pins located in the slot 16s.

The movement of the rack it) imparts a rotary action to the gear l! which is free to rotate on a shaft secured to the bulb holder 2.9. A sleeve-type bushing 55 (see FIGURE 6) rotates about said shaft and has secured to it in a locked fashion a flat spring 5tlg spacer 49, star wheel 12, and the bulb holder 2t). The bushing and the attendant parts operate within the area defined by the bulb holder 2d and the vgear il. AOne face of the gear lll has three protrusions lla spaced at l20" intervals formed thereon which, when functioning in conjunction with the flat spring 59 which is secured to the spacer 49 and the star wheel l2, becomes a clutch assembly. As one protrusion engages the dat spring Si) to rotate bulb holder Ztl and the star wheel l2 in a clockwise direction, the bulb in the recess 26a adjacent the end of the bracket S is rotated until about 105 degrees traverse is effected. At this point, the action of the roller 13 on the detented portions of the star wheel 12 causes the final l5 degrees of travel to be effected. The bulb being now in the tiring position, a return action of the operating lever 3% due to the effect of coil spring 23 will cause the rack lil to return to its spring-loaded stop position, and the slip action of clutch flat spring 5d will permit the loaded bulb to remain in the firing position. The stud ftd of cam 22 acts upon the surface formed by the slot 27h in such a manner that the reector 29 is returned to its normal position around the loaded bulb.

In considering the operation of the clutch assembly, reference is made in particular to the fiat springT 5%. rIhis spring is of a well-known type which is notched as illustrated whereby one inner surface of the notch is adapted to engage the protrusions lla on the gear 1l when the gear is rotating in a clockwise direction, When the gear is rotating in a counterclockwise direction, the protrusions will slide over the protruding notch surface and, therefore, the bushing to which the notched spring 5) is connected will not rotate with the gear when the gear is moving counterclockwise.

The star wheel 12, associated arms 14 and wheel i3 serve to prevent counterclockise rotation of the spring Sil and, more important, the bushing 55 upon which the spring, star wheel and bulb lholder 2b are mounted. To review the operation, one protrusion lla will engage a protruding notch in the spring Si? when the rack 10 is moved to the left. Accordingly, the common bushing 55 for the spring and bulb holder 2d will cause rotation of the bulb holder and the wheel 13 will then be caused to move into a succeeding detent on the star wheel l2. When the rack itl is moved to the right and the gear 11 rotated in 4the counterclockwise direction, the protrusions lla .twill slip over the spring Sil and, since the Wheel 13 is holding the star wheel 12 in position, there will not be a corresponding counterclockwise rotation of `the bulb holder 2.0,

This first bulb is now loaded in the disc-type bulb holder 2b in the firing position and the bulb contacts 5d will be engaged with the Contact arms 32 and 33 on the bulb, such lthat actuation of the camera shutter release will causey tiring of the loaded bulb in a well-known manner.

The electrical network shown is intended to be strictly conventional and may briefly kbe described as follows.

A terminal lug (not shown) will transmit current through p screw l which is secured to the metal housing of the camera being used with the flash gun, thus completing a ground through the camera. The battery employed is a conventional 221/2 volt unit, while the condenseris a 250 mfd. C40-100%, 25 v. DC. unit, and the resistor is a 220i) ohm resistor.

After firing of the loaded bulb is accomplished, the rotation of operating lever Sb will cause the next bulb to be positioned in the firing position in the manner heretofore described. lt will be obvious, of course, that in the specific structure shown the succeeding bulb wirl be positioned in a recess 26a, 120 degrees ohset from the recess of its predecessor, as soon as the first bulb has reached the tiring position. The operation of the ejecting means for the spent bulbs is best understood when considering FIGURE l in combination with 'FIGURE ll. As shown in IFIGURE l, the contoured member 21 provides an abutment means in the path of movement of a spent bulb whereby the bulb will be removed from the bulb holder. The perpendicularly positioned stamping 2S also provides an abutment means whereby bulbs located on the discs 2t) will be dropped into the spent bulb chamber as the disc rotates. Thus, ejection of the spent bulb is effected during the same rotating cycle which loads a succeeding bulb. The first bulb will be free to move when the redector 29 has been pivoted away in the previously described manner, and its rotation on the disc holder Ztl will cause it to abut against the `contoured cam surface of the bracket 2l. This contoured cam surface, shown as the lowermost portion of the bracket 21, is operatively associated with the stamping 25 and the movement of the bulb into engagement with the contoured cam surface at its juncture with the stamping 25 will cause the bulb to slide from the recess 26a and fall into the spent bulb compartment 53.

In the automatic ash gun construction shown in the drawings, three recesses 28a are `formed in the bulb holder 20. In the previously described sequence, the rst bub will be retained in a recess 29a after tiring, and after it is moved away from the ring position it will not be ejected until the second bulb is tired and moved from the tiring position. In other words, the position of the recess 2da holding the lirst bulb will not reach the juncture of the bracket 21 and the stamping 2S until the second bulb is rotated away from the ring position. This holding period for a tired bulb permits the hot bulb to cool oil and avoids sticking and jamming of the flash gun mechanisms.

The apparatus of this invention has among its obvious advantages the additional feature of being adaptable for sequential movement with the film-Winding apparatus of the camera associated therewith. Since the operating lever 3@ must be rotated to load a bulb, it would be a matter of simple mechanics to adapt this rotary movement to the film-winding apparatus of most cameras.

The particularly unique features of this invention enable the tiring of bulbs and automatic operation of the flash gun in any conceivable position. This is due to the fact that the operation of all the movable parts is dependent on mechanical urging from an operatively connected member and not at all dependent on gravitational forces.

The swing-out reflector employed in the specific example heretofore disclosed plays an important part in the dependable operation of the automatic flash gun. lf a stationary reiiector were employed with siots or openings which would permit insertion of new bulbs and passage of spent bulbs into the ejection compartment, there would be a danger of tiring of the unspent bulbs. Since the swingout reflector has substantially continuous surfaces, it will guard against heat being transmitted from a iired bulb to the unfired bulbs.

The particular design of the automatic flash gun was employed only by way of a specific example and it will be understood that modifications, particularly in the number of bulbs to be loaded and in equivalent mechanical devices which will perform substantially the same function, may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, particularly as dened in the following claims.

We claim:

l. An automatic dash gun adapted to lire a series ot ilash bulbs without reloading, including a housing, a reflector unit for said housing, means movably connecting said unit to said housing whereby said unit can be moved to a firing position and to a loading position, said gun further comprising means within said housing to hold a plurality or flash bulbs, movable means having a plurality of bulb-retaining means thereon, means to move one o said retaining means to a position adjacent said plurality of bulbs, means to place a bulb within said retaining means, means to move said bulb to its firing position,

means to move said reiiector unit away from its tiring.

position prior to the movement of the bulb to the firing position, and means for returning said reflector unit to said firing position after the bulb is moved to its tiring position` 2. The automatic llasli gun according t0 claim l in. cluding means for moving a spent bulb away from said ring position after firing thereof, said last mentioned means comprising the same means as those employed for moving said retaining means adjacent said plurality of bulbs, and wherein a different one of said retaining means is moved adjacent said plurality of bulbs during each operating cycle.

3. An automatic ilash gun adapted to fire a series of flash bulbs without reloading and having a firing and a loading position, comprising means to hold a group of uniired bulbs, movable means having a plurality of bulb retaining means located thereon, said movable means comprising a disc and said retaining means comprising recesses dimensioned to receive the ends of said bulbs and holding springs secured to said movable means and located to normally extend into each of said recesses whereby said bulb ends are resiliently retained when moved into said recesses against said holding springs, means for moving one of said retaining means to a position adjacent said group of bulbs, means for forcing one of said bulbs into said retaining means, means for moving said one bulb to the firing position, means for firing said bulb, means for moving said spent bulb away from said tiring position, and means for ejecting said spent bulb from said retaining means.

4. An automatic flash gun adapted to re a series of flash bulbs without reloading, including a housing, reflector unit for said housing, means pivotally connecting said unit to said housing whereby said unit can be moved to a tiring position and to a loading position, said gun further comprising means within said housing to hold a plurality of ash bulbs, movable means having a plurality of bulb-retaining means thereon, means to move one of said retaining means to a position adjacent said plurality of bulbs, means to place a bulb Within said retaining means, means to move said bulb to its ring position, means to pivot said rellector unit away from its tiring position prior to the movement of the bulb to the ring position, and means for returning said reflector unit to said tiring position after the bulb is moved to its tiring position.

5. The automatic flash gun according to claim 4, including means for moving a spent bulb away from said firing position after firing thereof, said last mentioned means comprising the same means as those employed for moving said retaining means to said group of bulbs, and wherein a diiierent one of said retaining means is moved adjacent said group of bulbs during each operating cycle.

6. The automatic ilash gun according to claim 4 wherein said means for returning said retlector unit includes a clutch assembly.

7. The automatic iiash gun according to claim 4 including abutment means located within said housing at a point beyond said tiring position and in the path of movement ot the bulbs retained in said movable means, said abutment means adapted to force said bulbs out of said retaining means when the spent bulbs move into contact y therewith.

8. The automatic flash gun according to claim 7 wherein said housing contains a spent bulbcompartment into which spent bulbs are ejected.

9. An automatic flash gun adapted to lire a series of flash bulbs Without reloading and having a ring and a loading position comprising a housing, a bracket within said housing, a slot formed within said bracket for receiving a row of untired bulbs, the ends of said bulbs protruding through said slot beneath said bracket, a rotary disc, recess portions in said disc adapted to receive said bulbs, a sliding bracket having an extending portion engaging the protruding end of the bulb positioned at the end of said row away from said recess portions, spring means connected to said sliding bracket normally urging the row of bulbs toward said disc, a gear connected to said disc, a rack with an upright portion thereon operatively connected with and adapted to rotate said gear, a cam means with a stud portion formed thereon, a reflector holder pivotally secured to said housing and having a cam surface thereon, and means to operate said cam means whereby upon operation of said cam means said stud portion engages said reflector holder cam surface and moves said holder from tiring position to loading position, said cam means also engaging the upright portion of said rack, whereby said rack is moved causing said gear to rotate said disc until one of said recess portions holding a loaded bulb carries said bulb to tiring position.

l0. The automatic ash gun according to claim 9 wherein the carrying of said bulb to firing position results in a second recess portion being located adjacent said slot and a second bulb being forced into said second recess portion by said sliding bracket.

ll. The automatic flash gun according to claim 9 including a clutch assembly interposed between said gear and said disc and adapted to permit reverse return movement of said gear, rack, and associated cam means to firing position without movement of said disc.

l2. The automatic dash gun according to claim 10 including abutment means located within said housing at a point beyond said firing position and in the path of movement of bulbs retained in said movable means, said abutment means being adapted to force said bulbs out of said retaining means when the spent bulbs move into contact therewith, and said abutment means being located whereby the spent bulbs are ejected immediately prior to loading of said second bulb into said second recess.

13. The automatic ash gun according to claim l2 including a third recess portion located in said disc permitting a dwell period subsequent to tiring and before ejection of a spent bulb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,179,552 Ee Porter Aug. 22, 1939 2,408,469 Malloy Oct. l, 1946 2,672,039 Schwartz Mar. 16, 1954 2,866,085 lBurroughs Dec. 23, 1958 

1. AN AUTOMATIC FLASH GUN ADAPTED TO FIRE A SERIES OF FLASH BULBS WITHOUT RELOADING, INCLUDING A HOUSING, A REFLECTOR UNIT FOR SAID HOUSING, MEANS MOVABLY CONNECTING SAID UNIT TO SAID HOUSING WHEREBY SAID UNIT CAN BE MOVED TO A FIRING POSITION AND TO A LOADING POSITION, SAID GUN FURTHER COMPRISING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING TO HOLD A PLURALITY OF FLASH BULBS, MOVABLE MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF BULB-RETAINING MEANS THEREON, MEANS TO MOVE ONE OF SAID RETAINING TO A POSITION ADJACENT SAID PLURALITY OF BULBS, MEANS TO PLACE A BULB WITHIN SAID RETAINING MEANS, MEANS TO MOVE SAID BULB TO ITS FIRING POSITION, MEANS TO MOVE SDAID REFLECTOR UNIT AWAY FROM ITS FIRING POSITION PRIOR TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE BULB TO THE FIRING POSITION, AND MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID REFLECTOR UNIT OF SAID FIRING POSITION AFTER THE BULB IS MOVED TO ITS FIRING POSITION. 